And Then You Came Back
by remonrime
Summary: What if Tsuna had been the only one sent into the future? 10YL!6927
1. Trapped

**Title:** And Then You Came Back

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Genre: **Angst, Romance

**Pairing: **10YL!6927, with a tiny, tiny bit of 10YL!1827

**Summary: **What if Tsuna had been the _**only one**_ sent into the future?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or gain any profit from writing this story. All characters used belong strictly to Akira Amano. Thank you.

**A/N: ****Well, my Reborn obsession finally managed to sucker me down again. It's been so long since I was last into it, and now I'M LIKE REALLY INTO IT. Again. So here's a plot bunny that has been raging in my head for the past week.**

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He remembered an explosion, he remembered his insides feeling like they were being catapulted to some far-off dimension – Sawada Tsunayoshi remembered lots of things, but for just this once, he wished he didn't have to remember that horrible, tugging feeling. That nauseous feeling you got when you were hurdled over an outrageous drop on a raging roller coaster, the feeling you got when you were out-of-your-mind scared. The universe seemed to collapse in on itself, his body floating on nothing but the air around him.

'_I'm spinning,_' he thought to himself, brow furrowing as his world twirled about him, sending him falling through a whirlwind of dizzying motion. Good thing he had his eyes closed.

"Wah!" he cried when his body suddenly slammed down, as if rooting him to the spot. The tugging sensation tapered away until it was gone altogether, and the world seemed to finally stop spinning enough for Tsuna to open his mouth and inhale a lungful of much needed air. When it's staleness tickled his taste buds, Tsuna knew something was horribly, terribly wrong. There were no sounds, no noises, no toddlers crying and whining for this and that, no friendly banter and trivial arguments between friends – absolutely nothing. The only thing he managed to point out was a slightly familiar scent, a floral one, as if he were encased in . . .

'_Flowers?!_' he though, twiddling his fingers at his sides until he felt the distinct softness of what felt like a horde of flowers pressing into him.

Tsuna forced his eyes open, panic blasting into him like a geyser. His eyes met with nothing but darkness, a pure and scathing black resembling the color of spilled ink. The fear began to claw at him, raking through his limbs and slashing across his mind. Adrenaline kicked into his blood stream, fusing to his veins like a parasite. He began moving his limbs, flexing his fingers wildly until he managed to slam them up against something – and that's what really frightened him.

He was trapped inside something, encased like a writhing sardine that hadn't quite kicked the bucket. He slammed his fists against the barrier above him and kicked out at the remaining sides enclosing his body, but to no avail.

"Help!" he screamed, slamming the palms of his hands against the sleek surface directly above him. "Help, somebody please!"

He raked his fingernails along the barrier, madly trying to claw his way through, terror licking at his heels. "Please, somebody help me! LET ME OUT!"

He was shrieking now, the air feeling all too warm. His breath was hitching, his lungs trying to suck in as much oxygen as they could without trying to collapse on themselves. It was really, really warm now. So warm that Tsuna was starting to sweat, a bead of water slowly streaming down the right side of his temple to pool around the curve of his ear lobe.

"LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, **LET ME OUT**!" he hollered, his voice growing frantic. He punched, kicked and banged at the barrier, jerking his limbs chaotically about him, stopping at nothing to be released.

_'I'm gonna' die, I'm gonna' die. I can't breath -- _.'

And then the world turned white.

Tsuna jutted his hands out in front of him, palms wide open. He choked, taking in a lungful of crisp, cold air. He slanted his eyes, the white light around him molding into blue sky, white clouds and a dense forest of gangling trees. For some reason, the top of the barrier had been removed.

Tsuna's entire body tensed when he heard a choking sound, and then a rendering sob. He wasn't alone.

"_**Juu-Juudaime?**_"

Tsuna shot up and looked around him, large chocolate eyes scanning his surroundings. There were so many trees, tons of them, all lined up together like strips of lean wire. There was a breeze softly flowing through them, whispering gently against the leaves and trailing languidly along the surface of the coarse, uneven grass. At this point in time, Tsuna looked down at himself, eyes widening even further when he found that his hand was clutching onto something. After a good deal of squinting and cocking his head, he realized that he was clutching onto the side of what he had been earlier encased in.

He was in a casket – a coffin.

"Hiiiii!" he screamed, throwing himself over the right side of the casket, sending him sprawling in a tangle of limbs on the grassy floor. His face hit the earth with a sickening smack, momentarily knocking the breath out of him until he managed to regain it back again. He heard a distant thud to his left, as if something or someone had dropped heavily to the grass. Tsuna piqued his head, fear momentarily paralyzing him. He shot a brief glimpse at the shadow of a figure hidden amidst the plethora of trees.

"Juudaime . . . Juudaime. Tsu-Tsuna."

And then realization hit him like a bag of bricks. Tsuna's eyes flew open and abruptly spun his body around, nearly knocking himself back into the coffin. He knew that voice – of course, it sounded a bit different, a bit more huskier and deeper from what he could remember, but it was the same nonetheless.

"G-Gokudera-kun?"

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**A/N:** **Well, first chapter complete. Uhhhh, I'm really anxious to see what's going to happen next in KHR. I mean, after all this 10YL business, what's going to happen next? It's kind of hard from going all "Byakuran! Arcobaleno! Mukuro escaped Vendicare!" to "Yay! We're back in the past. Now what?". There's a huge transition to make!**

**-.-"**

**Please review if you can! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Back Again

**Title:** And Then You Came Back

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Genre: **Angst, Romance

**Pairing: **10YL!6927, with a tiny bit of 10YL!1827

**Summary: **What if Tsuna had been the _**only one**_ sent into the future?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or gain any profit from writing this story. All characters used belong strictly to Akira Amano. Thank you.

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"Gokudera-kun."

He turned around, steel-colored eyes anchored on the strong, calloused hand sitting atop his shoulder. He traced the arm to its owner, nodding when he found the face of a somber-looking Yamamoto, whose usual care-free attitude was no longer present. Yamamoto's face was set with a sorrow so deep that Gokudera could feel its stinging effect, already adding to the grief and turmoil currently battling in his heart. Gokudera gently shrugged off his fellow comrade's hand as he straightened his crisp black Armani suit and fumbled for his small briefcase planted on the floor.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go?" Yamamoto asked quietly, a hint of desperation tapering at the end of his voice. Gokudera turned his back, shaking his head slowly, tendrils of silver hair slipping past his eyes and brushing across his forehead. He blinked once or twice, welling away the lump of dread in his throat that had stealthily started to swell.

"I have to see him alone," Gokudera countered coolly, stepping away. "One last time."

Yamamoto's eyes followed the retreating figure of his grieving friend, until the dense forest of trees finally swallowed him up.

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He walked through the forest gracefully, carefully, the tears at the back of his eyes steadily prickling forth. Once or twice, he had tried to shake them away by either wiping at them with the back of his hand or blinking his eyelids rapidly, but they always came back.

Polished shoes trampled over the mossy earth, Gokudera maneuvering his way through densely compact thickets and sliding past gnarled tree branches. Frequently, a lone branch or snippet of bush would catch at his suit, but Gokudera continued forward, nothing deterring him from reaching his destination.

'_What am I even doing here_?' he thought frantically to himself, fingers tightening around the brass handle of his briefcase. His eyes were beginning to sting and his throat was starting to constrict, making it hard for him to breath properly. '_I shouldn't even be here! __**He**__ shouldn't be in there!_"

So many conflicting emotions were rushing across his mind that Gokudera was finding it hard to control himself. After so many years of training both his body and mind, he was suddenly realizing that he felt very similar to how he used to think, when he was still a brash young teenager trying to impress his boss. Sadness, remorse, grief, and then finally a raging, spiteful anger pummeled their way into the Storm Guardian's thoughts, fueling him like a raging fire.

A memory of smiles, laughter, wide brown eyes and messy chestnut-colored hair. . . Those memories were gone now, non-existent, as if they had simply evaporated into thin air. He couldn't believe it, how someone so caring, so strong, so impacting could be gone; and all in a matter of minutes. Over the past couple of days, he'd forget the situation and run to his Boss's office, ready to give a report or pay his respects, until he remembered.

Oh, and did he remember. He remembered until he couldn't walk properly. He remembered until his mind was clouded with so much agony and sorrow that he couldn't stand upright.

'Oh,' he would think, staring at the empty desk littered with unsigned documents, as if he had never left. 'Oh.'

He was no longer there.

He would never be there.

His boss, his family.

His friend.

'_I should have been there! I should have been there to protect him!_' he raged, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. They never spilled. '_Fuck those bastards, fuck them all -- _.'

He stopped, his body tensing while storm-colored eyes scanned the premise frantically. He had heard something, a voice. It had been very faint, but he had heard it nonetheless. Wrath and vengeance clouded his mind, making him almost see white, his fingers clenching at his briefcase until his knuckles had lost all their color.

'_Fuckers!_' he raged, his feet moving of their own accord. '_Who the fuck's here?! No one should be here! Not while he's . . .'_

Gokudera lost his train of thought, his breathing becoming ragged as he pumped his legs forward. While sprinting, he leaped over hazardous boulders and crunched over fallen leaves, sweat starting to trickle at the base of his collar. He was feeling a bit too warm, but he didn't care – all he cared for was the safety of his boss, his tenth: his Juudaime's body.

Tree after tree whizzed past him, tufts of leaves and sharp twigs scratching at his face as he surged forward, his destination growing nearer by the second. And when he finally reached it, he stopped.

Frozen.

He was frozen.

He stared across at the casket in the center of the clearing, so elaborate and fine to detail with the Vongola insignia labeled proudly on the top, and dropped his briefcase. Wailing screams and frantic shouts pounded out from the coffin, muffled though they were, but Gokudera could hear them clearly, too clearly. He was frightened at best, who wouldn't be after hearing piercing screams come from a coffin no less, and at first he didn't know if he should go over and investigate or stand his ground. He didn't know what to feel. Should he feel angry?

Of course, obviously this was some sort of joke, some morbid prank at raising his hopes only to have them plummet and fester until they altogether withered away.

The piercing screams were growing louder by the second, ringing through Gokudera's ears and making him wince. Finally, after a moment's worth of thought, Gokudera hesitantly walked over towards the casket and stood over it, chromatic eyes wide and laced with turmoil.

Without a second thought, he leaned down and placed his hands on either side of the casket's cobalt lid, and lifted it.

His stomach dropped.


	3. Dying Inside

**Title:** And Then You Came Back

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Genre: **Angst, Romance

**Pairing: **10YL!6927, with a tiny bit of 10YL!1827

**Summary: **What if Tsuna had been the _**only one**_ sent into the future?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or gain any profit from writing this story. All characters used belong strictly to Akira Amano. Thank you.

**Thank you for those who have reviewed. Please read and enjoy!**

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What.

In.

The . . .

He stared at that familiar face, so much like how he used to know it. It was older, more defined, as if maturity suddenly decided to show up and render everything different. It was a strange concept, because everything about him was skewed, yet the same. His hair was still sliver, but it was a tad bit longer than what he could remember; the strands more fine, textured. To Tsuna, it was a bit strange seeing Gokudera who usually wore punk-related clothing, dressed in such refined and extremely expensive looking clothes, let alone a tailored suit.

Tsuna felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach when he noticed something. His eyes, Gokudera's eyes were the exact same color (nothing had changed there), but it wasn't the color that bothered him – it was what they expressed.

Aquamarine orbs stared back at him like pooling vortexes, wide and swirling with sorrow, compunction and the most obvious of all, stupefaction. Tsuna licked his lips, a numbing sensation traveling from his toes all the way up to his thighs. He couldn't move any of his limbs, save for his fingers which were digging into the grassy earth beneath him.

'_This isn't possible! Wait, it is! Hiiiiii!_' Tsuna realized, inhaling a large intake of breath. '_The 10 Year Bazooka! D-don't tell me . . ._'

"J-Juudaime. . ." he heard Gokudera whisper. It was so faint that Tsuna thought it could carry on with the wind and blow away into eternity. Tsuna froze, a deadly shiver traveling up his spine where it swelled at the base of his neck.

"Un. Gokudera-kun," Tsuna started, his mouth running on auto-pilot. He didn't quite know what to say, but he had to start somewhere. They couldn't just sit there staring at each other forever -- besides, he'd be leaving in about three minutes anyway. A wave of relief quickly washed over the agitated teen; at least he didn't have to stay there too long. In a matter of minutes he'd be warped away to his own normal time and reunite with his fellow friends.

Gokudera flinched, his shoulders starting to tremble. Tsuna watched as his Storm Guardian's facial muscles twitched and spasmed, the corners of his lips morphing into a bitter-sweet smile. It looked as if Gokudera were in pain, but Tsuna couldn't detect anything that would him make him look that way. Tsuna sat there for a few seconds and mulled everything over, observing his friend's appearance ten years older, or why the other was trembling and shaking.

"Um, Gokudera-kun, where are we?"

Tsuna flinched when he saw Gokudera snap out of whatever catatonic state he had been induced in. The Storm Guardian quickly jerked his head and picked himself up from the grassy earth, fumbling for the handle to his briefcase. He practically stomped the whole distance towards Tsuna, silver hair wisping about in a flurry. His black tie was hanging loosely around his neck and his once pristine suit was ripped and torn in various places, revealing specks of the red-striped dress shirt he was wearing underneath.

When Gokudera halted, his fingers trembling and body stiff and rigid, Tsuna looked up hesitantly from his position on the ground and gulped, marveling at how tall his fellow comrade had gotten over the years.

"You're tall, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna chirped. He frowned when his voice sounded clipped. "Lucky! I wish I was that --."

Tsuna was suddenly cut off mid-sentence when a pair of firm, secure arms snaked around his back, holding him there until Tsuna's face flushed from embarrassment, the left side of his face nestled against Gokudera's broad chest. He smelled like expensive cologne.

And just as suddenly as it came, Gokudera jerked Tsuna away, his large hands now gripping at the curve of Tsuna's shoulders. There was an odd expression on his face, Tsuna pointed out, a troubled one. There were so many conflicting emotions scrawled across Gokudera's face, much akin to a child's drawing, that Tsuna didn't know which ones to rivet upon. It would have been easier if he could sort each emotion into separately labeled piles and select the most pivotal ones; maybe then it'd be easier for Tsuna to resolve his friend's obvious distress. However, not everything worked like a fairy tale, and Tsuna had to frown at that thought.

"Gokudera-kun, what's wro – mmph!" Tsuna was yet again cut off , not by another embrace, but by Gokudera's finger to his lips, further silencing him.

"Juudaime, I'm sorry," Gokudera started, his voice soft and melancholic. Tsuna watched as Gokudera visibly steeled himself, his eyes hardening with a fierce determination as his lips straightened into a thin, compressed line. "We don't have much time. You'll be sent back to the past any minute now."

Gokudera grabbed for his briefcase and unbuckled the clasp. He then yanked the case open and rummaged through a various assortment of odd looking trinkets, until he came away with a wrinkled photo of which Tsuna couldn't identify. Gokudera quickly thrust the withered photo at Tsuna, who let out a tiny shriek and cradled the tiny thing to his chest, staring at Gokudera with a furrowed brow.

"When you return to your time, you must kill this man," Gokudera spat out, his voice hard and steely.

"Hiiii! Kill?! I can't do that!" Tsuna stammered, his eyes growing wide with fright. Tsuna nearly fell back when Gokudera suddenly grabbed at his wrist, resolution deeply set on his countenance.

"Please, please! Juudaime, please don't say that," he continued, his tone pathetically pleading. "You must kill him, you have to. Just do it."

"I can't kill people just like that! I won't be able to --."

"You see that coffin!" Gokudera cut in, his voice booming. Tsuna gulped once more and turned to look at the coffin. His eyes remained there, a sudden dread blooming from the very pit of his stomach. Where was Gokudera going with this?

"In 10 years you'll be inside that thing!" he continued, his voice cracking. Gokudera shuffled over to Tsuna on his knees, once again placing a hand on Tsuna's now trembling shoulder. Tsuna glimpsed from the coffin back to Gokudera, hazel eyes widening as the cryptic message finally sank in. It was daunting, horrifyingly and terribly daunting. Tsuna choked, placing the palm of his hand to his heart as he shook his head. His fingers clenched at the fabric of his orange sweater, fingernails pressing into his chest. It couldn't possibly be true, could it?

Tsuna stared at the coffin again, his doubts suddenly evaporating away like water on desert ground. It made sense, perfect sense: waking up in a coffin. Tsuna tilted his head and closed his eyes, inhaling a large gulp of breath. Really, in 10 years would he really be . . ?

"In 10 years you'll be gone," Gokudera bit out, his voice starting to waver. He removed his hands from Tsuna's shoulders and placed them primly atop his lap. He looked up, steely eyes peering through the white of his choppy bangs. "Juudaime, in 10 years you'll be dead."

Tsuna sat there, completely and utterly still. He gripped the photo to his chest, his fingernails nearly clawing into it as he tried to scratch at his chest. He let those words ring through his ears, his breath hitching as second after second ticked by. Gokudera was kidding, right? It had to be some sort of joke.

Right?

"You're mistaken," Tsuna laughed nervously, letting a sloppy smile spread across his lips. "Funny, funny Gokudera-kun. You got me. Haha."

On the other hand, Gokudera looked mortified. His eyes were quivering and his mouth was slightly agape; he was at a loss for words. Finally, Tsuna heard him gulp and start to speak.

"You're from ten years in the past, right?" Gokudera pressed, bafflement lacing his tone. Tsuna nodded. "You woke up in that coffin, right?"

Tsuna gulped, clutched at the picture, and then nodded once more.

"Juudaime, this isn't a joke!" Gokudera snapped. He stilled himself, obviously perturbed at having raised his voice at his "past" boss. He shook his head lightly and peered through his bangs, brow furrowed. "Juudaime, please, don't take this lightly. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry! I should have been there with you, I should have been there to protect you from those bastards! I -- ."

"Gokudera-kun, stop," Tsuna breathed out, raising his hand lithely. He clutched at the picture one last time before stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He turned his head and looked at the coffin once again, quivering brown eyes scanning the length of its black, smooth surface embellished with gold-trim designs. In truth, it was a beautiful coffin, but morbidly so. Tsuna shivered, tears pricking at the back of his eyes.

"Am I . . . Am I really going to die?" Tsuna whispered, anchoring fluttering eyes on his guardian.

Gokudera deflated, his shoulders drooping and his eyes closing in heartache. He wished he could tell him that he wasn't, he wished he could tell the younger Tsuna that he was going to live as the most powerful mafia boss for many more decades to come – but he couldn't.

Because it wasn't true.

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**In this fic, the events involving Millefoire and Byakuran and what not are still going to exist, but many things will be changed. Since there will be no guardian switches, Tsuna will have to work with his 10-year-later guardians. 69 will be coming soon. :)  
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**Sorry it's a bit of a short chapter. The next one will be longer though. Thank you for reading, now if you can, please review!**


	4. Recognition

**A/N: Enjoy!**

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**Recognition.**

Minutes passed and they just sat there.

Tsuna picked at the blades of grass jutting up against his thighs, rubbing them against the pads of his fingers until he grew bored and dispersed them to the wind. As for Gokudera, he was sitting about five feet away from Tsuna, and even farther away from the coffin.

"Uwah!" Tsuna hollered, nearly causing Gokudera to collapse backwards.

"Juudaime, what's wrong?" Gokudera asked immediately, taking a defensive stance. He searched Tsuna's wide eyes for answers, but he couldn't determine anything. When he couldn't decipher Tsuna's cause of distress, he took preemptive measures and scanned the vicinity of the forest, gray eyes probing its deep depths.

"It's been way over five minutes!" Tsuna nearly shrieked. He quickly scrambled from the grass and stood up straight, wide eyes scanning the expanse of the forest. He turned to Gokudera shakily, biting at his lip. "Why haven't I poofed away or something?! Shouldn't I be gone by now?"

Gokudera was at a lost for words. He brought his hand to his head, threading his fingers through his silver-fine hair before he nervously reached for his tie, subconsciously adjusting it. He replied hesitantly, "I-I, I don't know, Juudaime."

"Hiiii!" Tsuna squirmed, bringing his hands to his head, tugging at his hazel-colored hair. "This isn't happening, this isn't happening! I can't be stuck here!"

"Is it really that bad, Juudaime?"

Tsuna whipped his head around, eyes darting to his guardian. He immediately stilled, guilt clouding his heart and mind like a thick fog. Gokudera's eyes were anchored to the ground, quivering in what appeared to be anguish. Tsuna mentally slapped himself, suddenly feeling very foolish and very, very tactless. How could he have been so inconsiderate? After having been told he'd be dead in this time (although he loathed to admit) of course Gokudera would be elated to see him again – alive. Tsuna figured after saying what he had just said, it was equivalent to . . .

'_A slap in the face_,' he thought glumly.

"No, no! Gokudera-kun, I didn't mean it like that!" Tsuna quickly corrected, taking a casual step forward. "Really, I didn't. It's just, what if the 10 Year Bazooka is broken or something, and I can't return to my time! I wouldn't know what to do!"

Tsuna brought his hand to his chest, stuffing the other one inside his jacket pocket, fingers tracing along the fine edges of the photo stashed inside. He cocked his head to the side, wincing. He continued, "It's strange being here, 10 years later. It's a little too much to take in, knowing that you're going to die in 10 years."

He looked up at Gokudera at that, letting a watery smile scrawl across his lips. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just ranting." After looking up, Tsuna found Gokudera's eyes wide and glistening, his mouth turned up into a wide, beaming smile. It seemed like some things didn't change even after 10 years.

"Of course, Juudaime! I completely understand!" Gokudera stated happily, pride for his boss glowing about him like a shining aura. "Despite all that, I'm glad you're here, Juudaime! You can count on your right-hand man to help you with anything. As for the others. . . the others." Gokudera's voice tapered away, that somber expression and crestfallen look replacing the bout of happiness that was there previously. Tsuna looked on, one eyebrow raised at the sudden change of attitude. Had Gokudera grown up to be bi-polar?

"What's wrong?" Tsuna whispered, tilting his head in concern.

"We have to leave now, it's not particularly safe staying out in the open like this," Gokudera breathed, his face becoming gravely serious. Tsuna was taken aback at this.

"Why? I mean, it's just -- ."

"Let's leave," Gokudera cut in, his voice crisp and authoritative. He shuffled over to where his briefcase lay and bent down, grasping the handle with his hand. He straightened himself and flexed his shoulders, his collar riding up the length of his neck.

"Things can change in ten years," Gokudera started quietly, back turning. "You should know that it's possible, Juudaime." Tsuna gulped and clutched his fingers, nodding morosely. He couldn't help but take one final glimpse at the coffin.

_His coffin._

Tsuna crunched and trampled across fallen tree leaves, mangled roots and the occasional small thicket, all the while trying to keep his pace with Gokudera who was leading the way rather magnificently.

Once or twice, Tsuna would stumble upon a rock or a conspicuous pile of dirt, in which Gokudera would immediately turn around and offer him assistance. For Tsuna, he felt a bit embarrassed that he was managing to make a fool out of himself just by walking, but the farthest part of his mind was trying to reason with himself: Gokudera probably knew the terrain better than he did, so it wasn't entirely his fault he was stumbling so much.

"Ne, Gokudera-kun, how much far -- ?"

Tsuna was cut off when he rammed into the broad back of his Storm Guardian, smashing his nose rather painfully. Tsuna muttered a stream of curses under his breath, rubbing at his nose frantically to alleviate the pain. He watched as Gokudera slowly turned around, face set with a vexed expression. It looked as if he couldn't decided upon something, otherwise, Tsuna was left with the proverbial phrase: _stuck between a rock and a hard place._

"What's the matter? Are we here already?" Tsuna inquired, trying to peer around his friend's shoulder, but to no avail. Gokudera was simply too tall for him to peer across, much to Tsuna's chagrin.

"Juudaime, please look at me," Gokudera commanded softly, peering down at his boss. Tsuna winced and looked up, saliva collecting in his mouth. He usually did that when he was feeling nervous, and right now, he was feeling extremely nervous.

"Behind those trees, is the Vongola Base," Gokudera continued, his voice placid. He watched Tsuna freeze in place, his eyes growing wide with anticipation and anxiety. "It's underground, so you won't see it visibly, but it's there. But that isn't what I want to talk to you about." Tsuna nodded minutely, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his heels, his stomach lurching. Was there more bad news for him?

"Once we pass this barrier and enter the base, I have to warn you," Gokudera went on, taking a step closer towards Tsuna, who was beginning to tremble. "Every single person inside there, your guardians, hell even people you don't know yet, your subordinates . . . they just lost their boss -- their family. What I'm trying to say is, they're all in a state of mourning.

"If you just happen to waltz in there, as if you hadn't . . ." Gokudera hesitated, his voice cracking, before he managed to compose himself to finish what he had to say. " . . . you have to understand that this will be a big shock to them, seeing you alive. It's not everyday that someone comes back from the dead, right?"

"Gokudera-kun, what are you asking of me?" Tsuna intervened, hunching his shoulders. He heard his guardian sigh, before continuing.

"Don't hate me for saying this Juudaime, I'm the last person who would want to give you orders, but I'll greatly appreciate it if you'd accept my request." Gokudera turned his body, half pointing towards the line of trees, half facing Tsuna. Tsuna simply nodded. "When we enter, would you mind keeping a low profile. I mean, I'm not going to hide you or anything, but please try to refrain from being too jovial or questioning. I think it's best if you just let them take it in, gradually."

"Of course, of course!" Tsuna agreed, nodding his head rigorously. "I can just stand there, if you like. I won't say anything. But one thing, how am I going to first meet them? Immediately, or --?"

"Gokudera-kun!"

Tsuna watched as his Storm Guardian visibly stilled. Gokudera briskly turned around, waiting for the owner of the voice to eventually appear. Tsuna peeked out from behind his Guardian, staring anxiously at the line of trees in front of them. He could hear twigs snapping and leaves rustling and finally, as a tree branch was pushed to the side, out strolled a tall, lean figure.

There was a scar on his chin, Tsuna noticed, it was a very faint one at that, but a scar nonetheless. The man donned an equally expensive suit, but his stance portrayed anything but. The stranger seemed mellow and laid-back, one arm draped lazily around a sheathed blade hanging over his shoulder. However, there was one thing Tsuna found awfully familiar: the man's crop of stylishly spiked cobalt hair.

"Hope you don't mind my coming to look for you. You never know what's lurking in this forest and I was getting worried," the stranger explained, letting a small smile take place on his lips. His expression immediately changed, twisting somberly into sorrow. He was all brawn now, serious and grave. "I mean, we don't want another death in the family, right?"

Tsuna could feel his heart breaking at the man's tone, expression, and his now rigid posture. It was like he could feel the gloom radiating off the stranger in incessant vibrations until they cascaded around him like powerful tidal waves. To Tsuna, the man's visage didn't look like it belonged there.

'_No,_' Tsuna thought. '_It doesn't belong there. He shouldn't look so sad._' And then Tsuna began to think, really think. He ghosted his amber eyes once more over the sheathed sword hanging over the man's shoulder and settled his eyes on the familiar jagged outline of the stranger's hair. One word came to his mind.

"Yamamoto-kun!" he gasped, clearly taken aback. Was this really the Yamamoto of ten years in the future?

"Hm?" The stranger questioned, lowering his sword so that he held it firmly at his side. "Gokudera, who did you bring back with you?" Tsuna could see that Yamamoto was trying to peer around Gokudera's body, but to no avail.

"Um, I . . ." Gokudera stuttered, not sure how to go about the situation. He hadn't expected to re-introduce Tsuna so suddenly. Finally, he hunched his shoulders and sighed, picking his head up to look solemnly at his fellow Guardian. "I'll let you see for yourself."

Tsuna watched with a mixture of anticipation and dread as Gokudera lithely stepped to the side, allowing Tsuna to finally see Yamamoto in his entirety.

Tsuna watched his sword drop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gokudera didn't really want to see the baffled expression on Yamamoto's face, but he did so anyway. The Storm Guardian piqued his head and stared up through his fine-tipped bangs, his shoulders hunched and his brief-case pressed closely to his side. It was just as he expected. Yamamoto was stock-still, his eyes wide and quivering with either shock or fear, Gokudera couldn't quite tell.

"Yamamoto," The Storm guardian started, rubbing the palm of his hand along the length of his neck.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto spoke, his voice clipped. He turned to Gokudera, his brow furrowing. "Gokudera-kun, what is this?"

Gokudera stared at his companion with lamenting eyes, trying desperately to think up of something appropriate to say to his troubled-looking friend. He opened his mouth, but nothing seemed to want to come out. It felt as if his mouth had been dried and replaced with cotton, making him lick his lips frequently just to try to get that feeling to vanish. He didn't want to feel so out of control, not right now anyway.

"Yamamoto-kun, you're really, really tall," Tsuna commented softly, stepping away from Gokudera's protective form. He scuffled to the side, hands clasped in front of him as he stared across at the aged Rain Guardian. Tsuna tilted his head, brown eyes scanning the figure in front of him. Yamamoto hadn't changed in appearance, but it seemed that he had changed slightly in attitude; Tsuna could tell just by looking into his eyes. They were glassed over, more serious and grave than what he could remember, and he found that this change, however small, perturbed him for some reason. He was so used to the care-free Yamamoto he knew and loved, the one with the lazy grin always sprawled across his lips and his signature laid-back attitude, no matter how naive he seemed to be. Tsuna found himself frowning amidst the excitement and anxiety fluttering inside him.

"Well, say something baseball-freak," Gokudera bit in, motioning at Yamamoto with his hands. Yamamoto seemed to snap out of his brief trance, eyes clouding over in recognition. He then began to move forward, forgetting his sword that was still lying on the ground. He walked a few steps towards Tsuna, hesitant and weary steps, until he stood no more that a foot away from the young Vongola Decimo, hands at his sides and eyes never leaving his target. The Rain Guardian let a watery smile cross his lips, before extending his hand towards his boss, his family – his Juudaime. Tsuna slowly took his hand, wrapping his fingers around the surprisingly large palm, and firmly gave a quick shake.

"Welcome back, Tsuna," Yamamoto whispered, before sweeping Tsuna into a firm hug. He ruffled his hand through Tsuna's spiky, layered hair, fingers getting lost in the stalks of endless brown locks. He didn't know what to think of the younger version of his boss standing right in front of him, when he was supposed to be lying in a coffin some distance into the woods. To lose someone and then have them return to you-- alive, what could he think? He retreated from Tsuna, flashing him a genuine smile, and then as if realizing something very urgent, shuffled over to Gokudera and started conversing with him. Tsuna watched as they spoke to each other as they frequently used their hands to get their points across.

"How do you think he's going to take it?" he heard Yamamoto whisper, his voice turning solemn. Tsuna watched Gokudera shake his head, silver hair splaying about his shoulders.

"I don't know, maybe we shouldn't tell him," he replied, brow furrowing. Yamamoto bit at his lip, snaking a quick glance at Tsuna who quickly looked away at being caught staring. He pretended to busy himself by playing with his fingers.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Yamamoto countered coolly, meeting eyes once again with Gokudera. "I think he'd want to see him."

Gokudera took a moment to think, shifting his gaze from Tsuna to Gokudera while pondering how he should handle such a delicate situation. He finally sighed, hunching his shoulders in defeat and breathed, "Fine then. When we get to the base, let's contact Chrome."

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**A/N: Please leave a review if you can!**


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